Scanner vs. MFP: Which Do You Need?

Although many people can do all their scanning with a multifunction printer (MFP), users who work with books, transparencies, multi-page or two-sided documents should look into a standalone scanner.

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Although many people can do all their scanning with a multifunction printer (MFP), users who work with books, transparencies, multi-page or two-sided documents should look into a standalone scanner.

Wondering whether it makes more sense to get a multifunction printer (MFP), or a standalone scanner plus a single-function printer? The answer depends entirely on what you need to scan. The general rule is that unless you're scanning something that requires a standalone scanner, an MFP will do. Depending on what's on your scan to-do list, however, you might need both a scanner and an MFP, or even two scannersone for photos and one for documents, since no scanner handles both really well.

If you need to scan multi-page documents on a regular basis, particularly two-sided documents, documents with more than a few pages, or both, a document scanner is your best choice. It's easy to find MFPs with automatic document feeders (ADFs), but very few desktop MFPs can scan both sides of a page at the same time, or scan as quickly as a document scanner.

If you need to scan transparencies (negatives or slides), your best bet is a film scanner or a flatbed photo scanner with a transparency adaptor. A few MFPs (such as the Canon Pixma MP990) offer transparency adaptors too, but you should consider them only if you're looking for what amounts to a photo lab, with both the printer and scanner optimized for photos.

If you're primarily interested in scanning photographic prints or line art with fine detail (like a stamp), almost any MFP or standalone flatbed scanner can do a reasonable job. However, the scanners in MFPs aimed at office use are really designed for document scanning, so if you need a printer aimed for office use and you want high-quality photo or line-art scans, you'll need a standalone photo scanner. Most inkjet MFPs aimed at home use have scanners suitable for prints and line art. Make sure they offer at least 1,200 pixel-per-inch resolution.

Finally, if you need to scan a substantial number of book pages, you should consider a standalone book scanner, which is designed to hold books with the pages lying flat for better scans. Moderately priced book scanners are rare and tend to have long life cycles; the Plustek OpticBook 3600, which we reviewed in 2004, is still going strong.

If none of these items are on the list of things to scan, an MFP should be all you need.

Book Scanners

Plustek OpticBook 3600$250 street
The Plustek OpticBook 3600 can scan loose pages, including photos, but it does its best work with books. Special-purpose software takes some of the work out of scanning book pages, and the design effectively eliminates the shadow that typically shows up on the spine edge of a book page.

Document Scanners

Canon imageFormula DR-2020U$645 direct
The Canon imageFormula DR-2020U more than makes up for a few shortcomings in its setup with an impressive combination of features and performance.

Canon imageFormula P-150 Scan-tini$295 direct
The Canon imageFormula P-150 Scan-tini more than justifies its large size with fast speed, an automatic document feeder, and the ability to scan both sides of a page.

NeatDesk$399.95 direct
NeatDesk does a great job with receipts and business cards, but to take full advantage of the scanner itself, you'll have to buy additional software.

Visioneer Strobe 500$399.99 direct
The Visioneer Strobe 500 is a personal desktop document scanner complete with an automatic document feeder, but it's also portable if you need it to be.

Photo Scanners

Canon CanoScan 8800F$199.99 list
In the niche category of flatbed scanners that scan film and prints, the Canon CanoScan 8800F delivers high quality with impressive consistency.

Epson Perfection V300 Photo$99 direct
The Epson Perfection V300 Photo scanner scans both prints and transparencies (slides and strips of film) surprisingly well, and even comes with an optical character recognition program.

Epson Perfection V500 Photo$199.99 direct
The Epson Perfection V500 Photo is one of the most impressive scanners yet for the price, delivering high-quality, fast scans in fully automatic mode.

HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One$299.99 direct
Aimed at both the home and home office, the HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One produces sharp-looking graphics and photos and offers a host of office-centric features.

M. David Stone is an award-winning freelance writer and computer industry consultant. Although a confirmed generalist, with writing credits on subjects as varied as ape language experiments, politics, quantum physics, and an overview of a top company in the gaming industry. David is also an expert in imaging technologies (including printers, monitors, large-screen displays, projectors, scanners, and digital cameras), storage (both magnetic and optical), and word processing. He is a recognized expert on printers, well known within the industry, and has been a judge for...
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